Alternatives to Camera app can give you better iPhone photos

Camera app alternatives, like ProCamera, offer experienced photographers more control when shooting with an iPhone.

iOS's built-in Camera app is a useful piece of software, enabling the most rank amateur to take a well-exposed photo under a variety of less-than-ideal situations. At the same time, we have lamented on several occasions that Apple's built-in Camera app leaves a lot of room for improvement when it comes to advanced controls. While Apple's approach favors "tap and snap" simplicity, experienced photographers often want more control.

That added control is exactly what some third-party iOS photo apps aim to offer. We decided to take a quick look at six such apps for those looking for a Camera app alternative for your iPhone photography: 645 Pro ($2.99), Camera Awesome (free), Camera+ ($1.99), Camera Plus Pro ($1.99), Pocket Camera Pro ($0.99), and ProCamera ($2.99). Each app has a unique take on the interface, and most tend to offer similar features, as it appears that full manual control over the iPhone camera hardware isn't exposed to developers via official APIs. That said, you might find one of these apps suits your shooting style better than the Camera app.

645 Pro

645 Pro is definitely trying to woo photographers more accustomed to finely crafted mechanical cameras such as the Hasselblad 500c, Pentax 67, or Mamiya 645. Its name comes from the 6×4.5cm medium format size, which has the same proportions (4:3) as the iPhone's camera sensor. A dial allows the user to choose from common medium format sizes, including 6×6 (1:1), 6×7+ (4:5), 6×9 (3:2, same as 35mm), and 6×12 as well as 6×17 panorama formats.

The app combines skeuomorphic camera controls, an LED-style info readout, and an adjustable viewfinder. Controls are a little tricky, as each button has a "tap" and "tap and hold" control, and the virtual dials for format and virtual film type (color negative, transparency, and black and white are included) are hard to set where you want them.

A limited selection of photographic filters can also be selected by sliding from left to right on the viewfinder. Sliding up or down on the left side then chooses among the filters—cool, warm, and graduated, among others—while sliding up and down on the right side controls intensity. Filter effects and virtual "films" can be previewed before snapping by turning on the "live preview," though the viewfinder gets noticeably choppy when doing so. On the other hand, traditionalists may appreciate having to shoot first and see the results later.

Among the added picture-taking controls are independent focus, exposure and white-balance locks; a special low-light shooting mode that allows the use of longer shutter speeds; and an adjustable self-timer. You can also access live grid overlays and a real-time level. ISO and shutter speed cannot be set manually, though you can monitor the programmed values used as well as a detailed live histogram.

One last feature that really sets 645 Pro apart is the ability to save images directly to uncompressed TIFF format. These are saved as 645 Pro documents, but you can get them out of the app via several methods. 8 megapixel TIFF files are large—about 24MB—but for hardcore photographers trying to eke out every last bit of detail from an iPhone, it can make a difference, especially if you plan to use something like Photoshop for post-processing.

Camera Awesome

This app, developed by image sharing site SmugMug, is sort of a cross between Camera app and Instagram. It offers some advanced features like adjustable composition grids (including a golden ratio option), "big button" shutter release, digital anti-shake, self timer, continuous burst shooting, and intervalometer. It also comes with a selection of vintage-like filters which can be applied to each image. Camera Awesome also shoots video, whereas some Camera replacements, like 645 Pro, focus solely on stills.

As you probably surmised, Camera Awesome can be configured to automatically post every image to SmugMug. It will also post your images or videos (as applicable) to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, and YouTube.

Camera Awesome has a nice, well-designed interface, and the controls were very easy to figure out. It's perhaps not quite as powerful a photographic tool as 645 Pro, but it is an improvement over the stock app and is very simple to use.

Camera+

Camera+ was one of the earliest Camera app alternatives developed, and has a well-earned reputation for quality. Camera+ is designed to be a one-stop shooting and editing app. It doesn't have a full complement of shooting options, but it does have an image "stabilizer," self-timer, burst mode, and full-time zoom control. Images are normally saved to an internal "light box" where you can edit, share, and sync images to iCloud if you use Camera+ on multiple devices (there's also an iPad-optimized version).

Editing features include cropping, rotating, flipping, and automated "scene mode" adjustments that actually work extremely well. Choose from among "backlit" or "portrait," for instance, and tonal balance is subtly adjusted in ways that seem perfectly suited. Camera+ fans also really love the "clarity" option, which seems to magically expand the dynamic range and contrast without making the image look fake.

Unsurprisingly, Camera+ also includes a selection of "FX" filters that all look quite nice, though the "I Love Analog" filters are only available via an in-app purchase. You can also independently add one of 18 different "simple" or "styled" borders.

Once you have captured and edited an image, you can save it to your iPhone's camera roll; share it to Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr; send it in an e-mail or message; or upload it to developer TapTapTap's Camera+ sharing service, which creates a link you can post anywhere.

While the interface isn't as complex as 645 Pro, the combination of shooting, editing, and sharing makes for a very nice integrated solution.

Camera Plus Pro

Camera Plus Pro comes off as a subtle refinement to the built-in Camera app. It lacks the information displays of other apps, but adds an anti-shake feature, white-balance locking, a full-time zoom control, and a "big button" option which turns the entire viewfinder into a shutter button.

The app also includes a selection of Instagram-like live filters, several of which can also be used to shoot video. Like most photo apps, it includes several direct-sharing options, including Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, Flickr, and YouTube. It can also move images directly to a computer on your local Wi-Fi network.

Pocket Camera Pro

Pocket Camera Pro has many of the same features as the other apps we looked at, but it uses an interface reminiscent of amateur digicams. It still offers multiple image size formats, grid overlays, image stabilization, burst shooting options, a self timer, and adjustable focus and exposure locks. The controls can be difficult to set using the small five-way virtual button, however; it would be nice if users could simply tap directly on the overlay menu to get at the desired settings.

Unlike other apps, Pocket Camera Pro doesn't offer ISO or shutter information, a histogram, or white-balance lock. And the interface doesn't work well for taking vertically oriented images. While it offers more control than the native iOS Camera app, I feel it falls a little short of the "Pro" moniker.

ProCamera

ProCamera is probably on par with 645 Pro's still-shooting features, while retaining an interface that's more like the default Camera app. The large viewfinder covers most of the screen, while small overlays report shutter speed, ISO, and a live (and stylized) histogram. Overlay controls can adjust the flash and lock the white balance, while a "menu" button lets users activate anti-shake, self-timer, and "expert" modes, as well as grid and level overlays.

ProCamera also includes a nice, large focus control that can be used to lock exposure and focus independently. Simply tap and hold on the viewfinder to set your point, then drag with a second finger, and you can move the focus and exposure points to different parts of the image.

Tap the "Pro" button, and you can set additional options like anti-shake sensitivity, self-timer length, zoomed image handling, and a "big button" or "full-screen trigger" mode. Unlike 645 Pro, ProCamera will also shoot video, and it even has a special QR scanning mode (if that's something you use a lot). Like Camera+, it also includes a fairly complete set of editing features.

Recommendation

Coming from a pro photography background, 645 Pro really speaks to me with its "pro camera" interface and the ability to save full-resolution TIFFs. However, ProCamera has nearly all of the advanced power with a more iPhone-like interface, and it also includes video capture and editing features. Either of these apps would likely suit the most demanding "iPhoneographers."

If sharing with a lot of different services is of importance, Camera Awesome may be the best choice. Since it's free, there's little downside to giving it a try. Camera Plus Pro is also a good option for those looking for a bit more than what the Camera app offers, but not something radically different.

Camera+ definitely offers some amazing editing options, which all work with a simple tap. ProCamera's editing has much more control, but Camera+ worked so well it's hard to say which you might prefer. Even if you go with Camera+ for more simplicity, I don't think you'll miss out on quality adjustments, but you will have to be satisfied with less control.

The only app I hesitate to recommend is Pocket Camera Pro; while it had some interesting options, the controls were difficult to use and other apps were more complete.

Unlike the default Camera app, most of these options do cost some money. But for $3 or less, you should be able to find an option that suits your photography passion when all you have handy in your iPhone.

Promoted Comments

Small thing worth mentioning: These apps need to be updated to take advantage of the iPhone 5's low light mode. Without the update, they're capped at ISO 800 and you're better off using the default app in low light.

Camera+ has been updated to use this feature and goes to ISO 3200, ProCamera has not. I don't know about the others.

Wow, some of the skeuomorphic designs here are atrocious. Why can't some of these devs re-envision a camera interface suited for a touch screen?

Agreed. With the skeuomorphism fetish at Apple, the "let's-put-a-touch-interface-where-it-makes-no-frickin-sense" push from Microsoft, and the eldritch horrors of Unity, KDE 4 and GNOME 3 on Linux, has the whole world gone UI-retarded? Come to think of it, I would totally read a full-length Ars article exploring just what the heck is going on in the UI space.

After reading the article I still don't know which one I want. I think a simple table of features, accompanied by the screenshots (how the heck could you possibly stare that hideous 645 interface for more than a second) would have been more useful.

Are there any hints that Apple will one day provide an API for developers to manually control exposure, WB and focus? Some of these apps are neat, but manual control (or at least shutter/aperature priority) would be pretty awesome.

After reading the article I still don't know which one I want. I think a simple table of features, accompanied by the screenshots (how the heck could you possibly stare that hideous 645 interface for more than a second) would have been more useful.

For what its worth, I read the article and went "ProCamera seems to be offering the best set of features with a touchscreen sane interface, if I were in the market for an upgraded Camera app, it would probably be the one." Being able to independently set focus and exposure lock seems like it could be a killer feature.

Small thing worth mentioning: These apps need to be updated to take advantage of the iPhone 5's low light mode. Without the update, they're capped at ISO 800 and you're better off using the default app in low light.

Camera+ has been updated to use this feature and goes to ISO 3200, ProCamera has not. I don't know about the others.

There are so many camera apps for iOS that its really difficult for an article to actually pick out the best. These are good apps, but there are a lot more that are just as good, or better. There are also more specialized apps, like Cortex Cam. There are also a lot of apps, both consumer and pro, that allow connection to a D-SLR, or to allow functions, such as Triggertrap. An in depth article would take quite a bit of time to investigate.

I don't know how photo apps for Android stack up, but it would be interesting to find out.

Has anyone done a good comparison of 645 Pro's TIFF vs the standard JPEG output.

Not pixel-peeping close, no. But I'm considering my top 3 favorites: 645 PRO, Camera+, and ProCamera out for an extended review/comparison with Camera.app. I will definitely do a closer comparison of the TIFF files if that happens.

All I want out of a camera app is the ability to overlay multiple shots to average out the noise. It would be only useful in still shots and a tripod is normally needed but it would be really nice if all the images can be aligned through software automatically.

HDR does this to a small degree while applying a curve but its purpose is very different. The more samples for low light shots, the better. Imagine a setting for how much noise is acceptable and having the camera shoot any number of images to get to that threshold. Any app devs listening?

Wow, some of the skeuomorphic designs here are atrocious. Why can't some of these devs re-envision a camera interface suited for a touch screen?

While tech people often complain about this, people do like them, if they're well done. It's why we buy Tudor homes when we could buy something very modern. A lot of modern interfaces are very cold looking, and not very inviting.

Are there any hints that Apple will one day provide an API for developers to manually control exposure, WB and focus? Some of these apps are neat, but manual control (or at least shutter/aperature priority) would be pretty awesome.

No, but it's something I've been asking Apple about for a long time. I have a great idea for an interface for manual exposure, but I can't really implement it as the API stands right now.

That said, I also have ideas if and when Apple ever implements a MEMS-based mechanical aperture control.

Has anyone done a good comparison of 645 Pro's TIFF vs the standard JPEG output.

Not pixel-peeping close, no. But I'm considering my top 3 favorites: 645 PRO, Camera+, and ProCamera out for an extended review/comparison with Camera.app. I will definitely do a closer comparison of the TIFF files if that happens.

I'd be interested in finding out how they derive that TIFF. I know for a fact that some software tries to do this from the JPEG rather than from the RAW file. I don't recall if the RAW file is available for this purpose. If so, then it would be much better to deliver that, if the license allows, than a TIFF.

All I want out of a camera app is the ability to overlay multiple shots to average out the noise. It would be only useful in still shots and a tripod is normally needed but it would be really nice if all the images can be aligned through software automatically.

HDR does this to a small degree while applying a curve but its purpose is very different. The more samples for low light shots, the better. Imagine a setting for how much noise is acceptable and having the camera shoot any number of images to get to that threshold. Any app devs listening?

Are there any hints that Apple will one day provide an API for developers to manually control exposure, WB and focus? Some of these apps are neat, but manual control (or at least shutter/aperature priority) would be pretty awesome.

No, but it's something I've been asking Apple about for a long time. I have a great idea for an interface for manual exposure, but I can't really implement it as the API stands right now.

That said, I also have ideas if and when Apple ever implements a MEMS-based mechanical aperture control.

Aperture control is good for extended exposure range, but not for depth of field on phone cameras, because, as you know, with the tiny sensors, depth of field is already more than we would want much of the time.

All I want out of a camera app is the ability to overlay multiple shots to average out the noise. It would be only useful in still shots and a tripod is normally needed but it would be really nice if all the images can be aligned through software automatically.

HDR does this to a small degree while applying a curve but its purpose is very different. The more samples for low light shots, the better. Imagine a setting for how much noise is acceptable and having the camera shoot any number of images to get to that threshold. Any app devs listening?

All I want out of a camera app is the ability to overlay multiple shots to average out the noise. It would be only useful in still shots and a tripod is normally needed but it would be really nice if all the images can be aligned through software automatically.

HDR does this to a small degree while applying a curve but its purpose is very different. The more samples for low light shots, the better. Imagine a setting for how much noise is acceptable and having the camera shoot any number of images to get to that threshold. Any app devs listening?

I don't regularly use Android enough to be able to say for sure just what it out there. It doesn't help that nearly every Android device I've ever used has a different default camera app, even devices from the same manufacturer! I'll pass along the idea to our editors, though.

Are there any hints that Apple will one day provide an API for developers to manually control exposure, WB and focus? Some of these apps are neat, but manual control (or at least shutter/aperature priority) would be pretty awesome.

No, but it's something I've been asking Apple about for a long time. I have a great idea for an interface for manual exposure, but I can't really implement it as the API stands right now.

That said, I also have ideas if and when Apple ever implements a MEMS-based mechanical aperture control.

Aperture control is good for extended exposure range, but not for depth of field on phone cameras, because, as you know, with the tiny sensors, depth of field is already more than we would want much of the time.

True, but if the aperture is adjustable, then perhaps Apple could go with a wider maximum aperture. I think there is at least one Android smartphone out there now with an f/2.0 lens. Of course, size constraints start to become an issue when you push the aperture larger, too, so it's not necessarily an easy thing to do.

All I want out of a camera app is the ability to overlay multiple shots to average out the noise. It would be only useful in still shots and a tripod is normally needed but it would be really nice if all the images can be aligned through software automatically.

HDR does this to a small degree while applying a curve but its purpose is very different. The more samples for low light shots, the better. Imagine a setting for how much noise is acceptable and having the camera shoot any number of images to get to that threshold. Any app devs listening?

Not pixel-peeping close, no. But I'm considering my top 3 favorites: 645 PRO, Camera+, and ProCamera out for an extended review/comparison with Camera.app. I will definitely do a closer comparison of the TIFF files if that happens.

If you could include a 4/4s/5 comparison with the in-depth review, I think that would be great. A better understanding if certain apps do better with the different hardware would be a big help in choosing different apps. Although I don't know enough about how these apps access the camera hardware (I'm guessing not much) and if there are differences in writing apps between the hardware, so maybe it doesn't make a difference.

Nice write-up nonetheless.

edit for clarification: i know there is already a writeup for the 4/4s/5 camera.app and it was great. i'm looking for something similar with these different apps. not sure how much of it would be a rehash though based on my comment above about the coding aspect.

After reading the article I still don't know which one I want. I think a simple table of features, accompanied by the screenshots (how the heck could you possibly stare that hideous 645 interface for more than a second) would have been more useful.

I provided links to the App Store for those that wanted to compare feature by feature. I was trying to give an overall impression of using the app as a replacement for Camera.app, not an exhaustive feature comparison. However, as I noted, I am discussing the idea of doing a more in-depth follow-up, and I'll be sure to include a feature comparison if and when that happens.

As someone else already mentioned, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of photo apps in the App Store, from Camera.app replacements, filters apps like Instagram, editors like iPhoto and Snapseed, video apps, sharing apps, and other specialty apps like Pano and the aforementioned Cortex Camera. It's probably worth exploring if you're really into photography: http://itunes.apple.com/us/genre/ios-ph ... d6008?mt=8

Are there any hints that Apple will one day provide an API for developers to manually control exposure, WB and focus? Some of these apps are neat, but manual control (or at least shutter/aperature priority) would be pretty awesome.

No, but it's something I've been asking Apple about for a long time. I have a great idea for an interface for manual exposure, but I can't really implement it as the API stands right now.

That said, I also have ideas if and when Apple ever implements a MEMS-based mechanical aperture control.

Aperture control is good for extended exposure range, but not for depth of field on phone cameras, because, as you know, with the tiny sensors, depth of field is already more than we would want much of the time.

True, but if the aperture is adjustable, then perhaps Apple could go with a wider maximum aperture. I think there is at least one Android smartphone out there now with an f/2.0 lens. Of course, size constraints start to become an issue when you push the aperture larger, too, so it's not necessarily an easy thing to do.

Most of my career was in photography. The last 28 in running a medium size commercial photo lab in Manhattan. Using some of that experience and knowledge of lens design, I can say that for a useful shrinkage in depth of field here, we'd need to go to at least f:2 to even see the difference, and it would be very minor. A useful difference wouldn't arrive until f:1.4, and I doubt we'll be seeing that anywhere soon.

Which one gets rid of the purple hue when capturing close to a bright light source?

It would be nice if all $5 lenses could get around that problem, but unfortunately, all phone cameras have that problem to a greater or lessor extent. I know you were intending a dig, but don't bother. Even Canon and Nikon have that problem with their pro lenses, though not to the same extent.

I have used both Camera+ and ProCamera. Of those two, I prefer Camera+.

However, I have found that the launch-to-shutter time is sub-optimal, and little UI quirks irritate me.

After paying for and spending considerable time with both I've returned to the native Camera app for the sake of speed and simplicity. I must admit, however, to being intrigued by the TIFF output of 645.

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Re: Skeumorphs: I am not convinced that they are always a bad thing. There are times when presenting a digital interface in offline terms can help users learn to use the app (aka "affordances"). For example, a sparse set of fields for event data may not inspire usage and 'ah ha' moments like the interface of iCal.

Hand a non-iPhone user two iphones, one with the Calendar app and another with Calvetica and I would put good money on the user figuring out Calendar long before they figure out Calvetica.

Wow, some of the skeuomorphic designs here are atrocious. Why can't some of these devs re-envision a camera interface suited for a touch screen?

Agreed. With the skeuomorphism fetish at Apple, the "let's-put-a-touch-interface-where-it-makes-no-frickin-sense" push from Microsoft, and the eldritch horrors of Unity, KDE 4 and GNOME 3 on Linux, has the whole world gone UI-retarded? Come to think of it, I would totally read a full-length Ars article exploring just what the heck is going on in the UI space.

Agree, great topic if done in-depth.

Camera 645 is pretty awful here (UI-wise). Pris is an interesting alternative you overlooked. Some less-skueo-UI images to help rinse Stan from your visual cortex:

You never address the speed of these camera apps. Are they all just as quick and responsive as the native app, especially on older phones such as the 3GS?

Thanks!

I should say that I tried all of these on my iPhone 5., and did not once notice any speed issues. I still have an iPhone 4 handy, though, so I'll put that on my list of things to look into if I'm able to do a more in-depth follow-up.

Camera+ works fine on my 3GS, though I've noticed it getting slower to launch and to switch between shoot and browse modes lately.The clarity mode really quite aggressive, and you can't control its intensity like the filters. The one thing I want in a camera app (and I've not found any with it, only dedicated editor apps like Photoforge2) is the equivalent of Photoshop's shadow adjustment, since my pictures nearly always have shadows that are way too dark.Camera+ does have anti-shake, and two-point touch for separate focus and exposure.

Camera+ works fine on my 3GS, though I've noticed it getting slower to launch and to switch between shoot and browse modes lately.The clarity mode really quite aggressive, and you can't control its intensity like the filters. The one thing I want in a camera app (and I've not found any with it, only dedicated editor apps like Photoforge2) is the equivalent of Photoshop's shadow adjustment, since my pictures nearly always have shadows that are way too dark.Camera+ does have anti-shake, and two-point touch for separate focus and exposure.

On my 3GS Camera+ is somewhat of a dog. It's slower to launch than the standard app, and things such as importing from the camera role and exporting take way longer than you would think they should.

(this is with ios 6).

That's why I'm asking the speed issue. Even a 1 or 2 second difference in how long it takes to get to the first shutter click can be a big deal.

Also, I don't feel the video taking ability of these apps was really covered that well. No one wants to switch apps just to take a movie, so having a decent movie mode is essential.

I thought smug mug's app was neat in that they copied Casio's ground breaking (in 2005 at least) pre-recorded movie mode letting you start recording the movie several seconds before you press the record button.

Which one gets rid of the purple hue when capturing close to a bright light source?

It would be nice if all $5 lenses could get around that problem, but unfortunately, all phone cameras have that problem to a greater or lessor extent. I know you were intending a dig, but don't bother. Even Canon and Nikon have that problem with their pro lenses, though not to the same extent.

Seriously, another minor issue blown out of proportion by the haters. A camera enthusiast site reviewed the iPhone 5 camera and on the purple fringe issue they said something along the lines of "...as you would normally do with any other camera, you should be keeping those bright light sources away from the lens opening."